Marchuk was first elected in 2011 when he beat then-NDP Leader Dwain Lingenfelter by over 900 votes to win the seat.

Premier Brad Wall thanked him for his contributions to the government and to the province through his lifetime of work in education.

In his 46-year career, Marchuk has been a teacher, vice-principal, principal, school board trustee, vice-chair and chair of the Regina Public School Board, education consultant with Treaty Four First Nations schools, legislative secretary to the minister of education and the minister of education.

He stepped down as education minister in September 2013 after much criticism over standardized testing.

During his time as an MLA, he is most proud of the two new schools in his constituency — Arcola Community School and Douglas Park Elementary School.

Marchuk said a recent health crisis and a desire to spend more time with his family is behind his decision to retire.

“Family is everything. I’ve got eight wonderful grandchildren. There are things to do yet. I’ll be be 70 years old in September. It’s time to move on,” he said.

He will continue to serve as the MLA for Regina Douglas Park until the provincial election in April.

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.